


of masking tape and men

by softshocks



Category: Mamamoo
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Everyone is Gay in Theatre, F/F, designated hs theatre au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 00:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9211907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softshocks/pseuds/softshocks
Summary: Wheein gestures to the stage. “This, my friends, is the home of the lesbians—I mean, thespians.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> this is me making use of the decade I spent in theatre! this has been marinating in my drafts since july 2016 but i'm glad it's out now!!!

It troubles her, actually, how she’s the only senior in the audition room. It troubles her enough to make her want to back out and face Joohyun’s thoroughly disappointed face and Sojung’s unamused one. 

Yongsun would rather not, though. She _can_ back out and see their disapproving faces but… she’d rather not.

Don’t get her wrong; Joohyun is one of the kindest souls she’s ever met despite the perpetual look of disdain as her resting face. Sojung was really nice too, approaching Yongsun right after her glee club auditions last year, asking if she’d want to have lunch together. Then that was it. Turns out that Joohyun and Sojung were friends already, then they were three.

Sojung had already gone through the audition last year (“I did, how Sejeong would say, _nail it_ ,” she said, taking her seat beside Yongsun inside their bus.), having decided to leave the Glee club and transfer to the the drama club, leaving Yongsun. Now she’s seated here in the queue, nervous and sweaty—boy, _is she sweaty._ Of course Sojung was great. Of course now Sojung is the makeup mistress. It’s such a natural thing for Sojung to do well.

“Kim Yongsun,” a girl with short hair and a mole under her lips calls out, her eyes trained on a clipboard. Yongsun recognizes her as one of Nayeon’s friends. “You’re up next.”

Dread fills her but she wants to do this for Joohyun and for Sojung so Yongsun gets to her feet, clenches her fists then gathers all the courage she can muster for her first non-singing audition.

The auditions are some sort of state secret; as if there was a social contract to _not_ talk about what exactly goes on during Drama Club auditions.

Naturally, Yongsun isn’t prepared to be interrupted mid- _Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf_ passage.

Naturally, she manages to embarrass herself when the club president asks her to pretend to be a vegetable about to be blended.

Naturally, the aforementioned club president is none other than that hot-shot, undergraduate-heartthrob Moon Byulyi, who smiles at the incredulous look on Yongsun’s face. Yongsun doesn’t even have time to establish she absolutely dislikes Moon Byulyi before two other girls pull at her legs, making exaggerated blending noises while she, as a vegetable, is about to be blended.

“Goodbye, _corn-ruel_ world!” Yongsun exclaims and it’s right after the words exit her mouth she realizes how absolutely _freakin’_ lame that truly was.

Well.

She can bid goodbye to being clubmates with Sojung and Joohyun.

(“Well, how was it?” Sojung prompts once she leaves the room, flushed and embarrassed because Moon Byulyi’s stupid arrogant face _may have laughed at her_. Yongsun wasn’t sure. She was, however, damn sure Moon Byulyi was enjoying her misery.

“Pretty bad,” Yongsun says honestly and silently thanks Sojung for not asking about how red she probably is right now.

She does, however, resents Sojung for asking: “what did you say then?”

“You don’t want to know.” Yongsun says, remembering probably the worst pun of her life, and leaves it at that.)

 

-

 

**Joohyunnie [7:05 PM]**

How’d you do? Sorry I couldn’t wait for you, the bus had to leave early!

 

**Yongsunnie [7:05 PM]**

Pretty bad hahahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

 

**Joohyunnie [7:06 PM]**

Really?

 

**Joohyunnie [7:06 PM]**

Explain this

 

**Joohyunnie [7:06 PM]**

[Joohyunnie sent you a photo]

 

**Yongsunnie [7:07]**

Whats that I can’t see the pic

 

**Yongsunnie [7:08]**

IT JUST LOADED NOW

 

**Yongsunnie [7:08]**

IS THAT THE LIST OF ACCEPTED AUDITIONEES

 

**Yongsunnie [7:08]**

WHY IS MY NAME THERE AKDJADJJ

 

**Joohyunnie [7:08]**

I think they saw something in your “goodbye cornruel world”

 

**Joohyunnie [7:08]**

Haha you’re so funny

 

**Yongsunnie [7:08]**

JDKWJDJAK LETS NOT TALK ABOUT THAT PL E A SECLENJEJ

 

-

 

Yongsun passes the bulletin boards of the performing arts cluster to confirm her slot in the glee club _or_ the drama club and it’s quite hilarious, actually, how the bulletin boards for the glee and drama clubs are side by side.

An internal battle wages within her and while she absolutely adored singing, the glee club had… agendas she doesn’t necessarily agree with. Sojung labels it ‘glee politics’ and that’s exactly what it is, other than a reason for both of them dropping the club.

“You won’t regret it, you know,” someone snaps her out of her reverie and it’s a girl with short, dark hair and pretty eyes with a mole on her cheek. Her badge says she’s a sophomore and in her arms are a bunch of cartolinas and sticky tacks, her wrists are lined with rolls of masking tape. “It’s a great club. You’ll learn so much.”

Yongsun doesn’t know this girl but the smile on the girl’s face tells her that she doesn’t do so often, and Yongsun likes her immediately. “You think I’m cut out for this?”

She doesn’t know, truly. Joohyun and Sojung tell her she is, but Yongsun doesn’t believe either of them fully. She’s cut out for standing and singing in a choir in the most ridiculous outfits but she hasn’t ever done much of moving and speaking and acting on stage. Maybe she isn’t. Maybe she should just stay in glee club.

The girl nods. “Anyone can do theatre if they wanted to.” Yongsun sees her name badge. It says, ‘Ahn, Hyejin’.

“But I’m too…” Yongsun trails off. ‘Old’ isn’t quite the right term. She’s eighteen and in high school. “Late, to you know, learn how to be cut out for this.”

“I don’t think it is.” Hyejin replies simply, setting down the cartolinas. “I don’t think it’s too late for anyone to do theatre in any point of their lives.” Then she leaves, when another girl yells across the empty hallway, saying they’ve found more cartolinas in the cabinets of the art room.

Yongsun thinks about Joohyun and Sojung and all the times they’ve been on stage, their faces intense, illuminated by the lights and their voices amplified by the boom mics. Yongsun thinks about the times they gush about a play they’re working on, about sounds and costumes and their clubmates doing their absolute best to sew a production together.

Yongsun thinks, then fishes a pen out of her pocket and signs to save her slot on the paper stuck to the drama club’s bulletin board.

 

-

 

They’re never going to let Yongsun live down the whole _“cornruel world_ ” thing it seems, because Moon Byulyi, who walks down the corridor with her friends like she _owns_ it, grins at her with well placed vegetable puns that Yongsun hates to admit are absolutely better than hers.

Moon Byulyi is an unforeseen tradeoff, so to speak. While joining the drama club meant she’d be with Joohyun and Yongsun and Hyejin who she’d seen around the school, it also meant _she’d_ be with _Moon Byulyi._

Moon Byulyi, the club president, with her arrogant face and her nice black leather shoes and adorable hoodies and the annoying hormonal fourteen year old girls who swoon over her. Yongsun wants to punch her.

“Why do Eunbi, Jeongyeon and Sejeong like hanging out with her?” Yongsun asks Sojung one day while they go over their physics notes in the library, when Moon Byulyi passes them.

Sojung takes a sneaky munch of the PB&J sandwich she’s hiding inside her bag. “Byulyi?” She whispers around a mouthful of bread. “I think she’s pretty cool. Hardworking too. Not to mention she’s really good at what she does. Eunbi should learn a thing or two from her.”

Yongsun chuckles. “Hey, don’t sell your girlfriend short. Eunbi’s great.”

“She isn’t,” Sojung says though the small smile she’s supressing tells Yongsun that she thinks otherwise. “Maybe you’ll think differently when you guys work together.”

Yongsun’s head meets the leaves of her book at the thought of working with Moon Byulyi.

Sojung laughs at the face Yongsun must have pulled. “Or maybe not. You have to stay professional, though.”

Professional. With Moon Byulyi.

Yeah. Yongsun can do that.

 

-

 

**Sojungie [8:35 PM]**

You’re going to the orientation

 

**Sojungie [8:35 PM]**

Right?

 

**Yongsunnie [8:35 PM]**

Do i have a choice

 

**Joohyunnie [8:36 PM]**

You always do have a choice

 

**Joohyunnie [8:36 PM]**

But I’d rather not let you have one for this

 

**Sojungie [8:37 PM]**

Which, in Joohyun language, means: you absolutely must go

 

**Sojungie [8:37 PM]**

Seungwan knows this language the most. Hahaha

 

-

 

“Is everyone here?” The small girl, the name tag telling Yongsun her name is Wheein, cranes her neck to see the crowd. She’s extremely excited to show them around the theatre, even more so than the eighteen new members, judging by the large grin on her face. “Yes? Okay. Hi, the name’s Wheein. I’m the set design head and I’ve been here since freshman year. Today, I’ll be showing you around and introducing you to some traditions if we come across any.”

“So this is the rec room, I’m sure you know,” Wheein points around. “This is where we usually hang when there aren’t any productions and this is where we usually do our base makeup because of better lighting.” It _was_ a pretty well lit room, the curtains doing very little to keep it dim. There were posters everywhere, of different productions they’ve had, stuck the white walls making it look endearingly messy, just like the room that’s full of stock props like trees and chairs and paint. “We also keep some of our stuff here, usually the props that are pretty common which other non-drama club students use for their plays. They’re made by the drama club, mostly by Seulgi, the head of set design and props and seconded by Chaeyoung - who aren’t here because they’re redesigning the entrance of the theatre. The team also eats here in the rec room, especially after a production, so it’s also a hub for socialization if you’re into that!”

Hyejin, Yongsun recognizes, enters the room with another girl, carrying paper bags of masking tape. Wheein notices, runs to them immediately and Yongsun knows they’re pretty close, with the way Hyejin handles the burst of energy Wheein exudes easily. “Hyejinnie! Somi-yah! Look at our new members!”

“Hey darlin’, here’s your french vanilla with an extra kick.” Hyejin kisses Wheein’s cheek and waves at Yongsun, obviously recognizing her as the senior with doubts at the bulletin board.

“Ah, everyone, this is Hyejin and Somi, two of the six stage managers in this company. So the stage manager is what it says on the tin - they should know all the going-ons onstage, should know the play as well as the director and the project manager.” Wheein holds up Hyejin’s arm, with three rolls of masking tape on her wrist. “They must have an endless supply of masking tape. Masking tape is your friend, to set up visual stage cues and blocking.”

“Ah, you guys aren’t allowed to pass through the entrance of the theatre because they’re repairing the exit sign,” Somi tells them. “So you guys will have to pass through the tech booth and the balcony.”

Wheein claps, eagerly bounces on the balls of her feet. “Perfect! That way we can meet the costume department and tech people in one trip!”

Costume department. That’s where Sojung and Joohyun are. Yongsun breathes a sigh of relief, which is taken away when more people pour into the rec room, and Yongsun wonders which committee they belong to and if she’ll be working with them.

“Ah, everyone,” Wheein calls the attention of the members who’ve just walked in. “These are our newcomers. Be nice to them.” The people, much to Yongsun’s relief, smile and wave warmly.

They’re quite a number but Wheein manages to introduce them all under five (5) breaths or less.

Yongsun remembers most of them. There are the other four stage managers: Heehyun, Sooyoung, Chaeyeon and Jeongyeon. Then the Marketing and Publicity division, with Sejeong and Eunbi. They’re the ones who make promos and handle ticket-sales, as well as the other gigs to signal boost ongoing plays. If you want something to sell, ask Sejeong. They’ll buy from her. Why?”

“Because everyone loves Sejeong.” All the people in the room say, not unkindly.

Wheein continues. “The runners are also here: Momo and Yebin, who are the crutches of the production in case anything goes sour. They run errands, fetch if anything’s forgotten,” which, Yongsun feels, is as crucial in running a show as other committees are. “And ho hey, look who’s here! These are our production managers, Nayoung and Jihyo. They’re basically the left brain of the entire production and manage the committees, making sure that everyone’s working to do their job and to make sure the production is a well-oiled machine!

“So now you’ve met the heads of some divisions, let’s move to the costume department at the green room.”

Yongsun spots Sojung and Joohyun almost immediately; they’re in one corner, checking a gown for damages like Yongsun knows is routine. The entire room is strewn with various dresses and makeup kits, masking tapes and measuring tapes on every corner. “So this is our costume mistress Joohyun and the makeup head Sojung,” Wheein introduces, placing an arm around Joohyun and Sojung. “One thing you should know is that in our organization, the actors are the ones to conceptualize their own costumes with the director’s help, of course.”

“An actor must be creative and know their character well enough to dress them,” explains Joohyun. “My only duty is to find the components of your costume and to make sure it looks good on you.” Yongsun knows this, has spent years watching Joohyun compile various sets of costumes designed by the actors themselves. It was rather stressful for the both of them.

Sojung waves at them. “As for me there’s really not much I can say except that yes, I’m the makeup mistress and please, for the love of God, bring your own lipstick.”

Wheein laughs and blushes. “Uh, yeah. If you guys want to kiss, might as well do it directly instead of kissing through lipstick am I right?”

Sojung looks unimpressed, and Yongsun recalls that there’s one girl in the club that’s been losing her lipstick during productions. Yongsun bets it’s Wheein, with the way Wheein has the graces to look guilty and lead them to the tech room, which is just a door away from the green room.

It’s cold in the tech room and Yongsun thinks she doesn’t want to spend her time here and then she sees Moon Byulyi sitting on one of the chairs by the soundboard and Yongsun _knows_ she absolutely doesn't want to spend time here and - wow, _did they turn the temp up?_ She’s warm all over but she has no time to think about that because Byulyi looks directly at her and says, “Hey! Vegetable girl!” The entire rooms shrinks, with eyes of younger kids looking at her.

Wheein laughs, eyes flashing with recognition. “Oh my god, it’s you! You’re the _corn-ruel_ girl!”

Yongsun laughs, finds comfort that most of the people in the room don’t have the slightest as to what they’re talking about. “Ahaha, yes, that’s me.”

“Awesome,” Wheein says then addresses the entire group of people struggling to fit in the tech room. Yongsun feels Byulyi staring at her still, an unreadable expression on her face - a hybrid between mocking and fond and Yongsun is struggling too much to not sweat with embarrassment that it’s difficult to listen to Wheein. “-so this is Dahyun, our sound mistress. She’s the one that handles SFX and soundtracks as well as equipment like this board over here, boom mics on the stage and the lapels that actors wear. This is Mina, our lights mistress. She’s the one that handles lighting the stage and creating color palettes for each and every scene, with the aid of our director over here.”

“There’s really not much requirement to work with sounds, just a good ear and lots of flash drives with back-ups,” Dahyun tells them. “I can teach you the controls of this baby right here.” Yongsun looks at the soundboard with seemingly endless rows of buttons. She’d rather not.

“It’s the same for lights. Just have a good eye for design stage lights and good coordination and attention,” Mina replies. “You might also want to bring a jacket because it’s freezing.”

People nod in unison though how Byulyi and Mina seem to not shiver in just their school uniform escapes Yongsun completely.

“Any questions?” Dahyun inquires.

A freshman raises her hand. “What does that poster mean?”

 

_Join Tech: Without Us, It’s Naked Pantomime in the Dark._

 

“What it says on the tin, kiddo.” Byulyi replies with a dashing grin that shouldn’t be as dashing as it is. “Every division and committee is important, though you must know that tech is the one that sparks the play into life. Without tech, _it’s just naked pantomime in the dark._ ”

Mina interjects (politely), “that is to say _if_ and only _if_ the production is within a stage setup that requires equipment. Theatre has persisted through ages even without a tech division.”

Byulyi pales slightly, though she laughs anyway, placing a hand on Mina and Dahyun’s shoulders. “That totally doesn’t help getting people to join tech but you’re right, Myoui. Anyway, join tech. We’d love to see you here.”

“When Myoui Mina isn’t a lights mistress, she’s a choreographer _and_ a scriptwriter by demand and when Moon Byulyi isn’t a director, she’s a tech supervisor. That’s it for the tech room.” Wheein explains, already walking backwards towards the door that leads to the balcony of the new theatre the school has built, one that’s the home theatre of the drama club. Not even Yongsun has seen it and the window of the tech booth were sealed shut. “Alright. So you guys are going to witness, for the first time, the new theatre where we’ll be staging three plays. Hold on to your skirts, m’ladies.”

Then she opens the door and they pile in; the entire theatre is gorgeous, even if it’s not very big - though still gorgeous, all the same. Yongsun adores it, can’t wait to see productions held on that onyx black floor and end a production with those luscious red curtains. The seats are the same kind of red the drapes are, and it goes for rows and rows. The balcony allows them to admire the new establishment, Yongsun eats the sight up. She’s a performer girl, too, even if she switched medium.

Wheein gestures to the stage. “This, my friends, is the home of the lesbians—I mean, _thespians._ Or as we like to call it, H.O.T.”

Yongsun feels 90% of her doubt swirl down the drain.

 

-

 

She’s truly enjoying her time alone at the library until she isn’t, and of course the person who makes it so is no other than Moon Byulyi.

“Kim Yongsun,” the girl says, sidles up next to her in front of the book shelf for physics textbooks. “Nice to see you here.”

 _I wish I could say the same,_ Yongsun doesn’t say. She extends her arm to the top shelf for the book whose call number matches the one on a piece of paper in her hand. It’s a small distance away from the pads of her fingertips but Moon Byulyi reaches it with ease, handing her the book before Yongsun can even process anything.

She takes the book from a very smug Moon Byulyi, refusing to look her in the eye. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Uh, I’ve gotta be somewhere,” Moon Byulyi says, glances at her wrist. She then leans on the bookshelf and crosses her arms, like an attractive piece of shit. Yongsun distantly thinks that no one asked her to be here anyway. _Are you sure,_ her subconscious challenges. _Your face is pretty heated up right now._ “I’m glad you chose H.O.T. We’re very glad you’re there. See you at the orientation?”

Ah, _the orientation._ Yongsun nods and that’s the end of it. She doesn’t trust herself to speak because she’s certain nothing will come out.

“Awesome, I’ll see you around, Vegetable girl.”

Moon Byulyi exits the library, but not without a few girls giggling after they greet her with a bow.

Yongsun leans on the shelf and takes deep breaths, clutching the book to her chest.

  

“Do you still not like Byul?”

Yongsun squints her eyes at Sojung. “Who’s asking.”

“Eunbi asked me, who was asked by Byulyi - who asked us to ask you if you have issues with her.” Sojung shrugs. “I don’t know why she didn’t ask me to ask you and had to ask Eunbi to ask me to ask you.”

Joohyun sighs. “Can you stop saying ask.”

“If I remember correctly, Seulgi also _inquired_ you to _inquire_ Yongsun for Byul.”

Joohyun nods and Yongsun rolls her eyes at them both, though the conversation is far from over. “She’s okay.”

“Why the snappy conversations?” Joohyun asks. Oddly enough, it feels like being chastened - something that happens often around Joohyun. “Has she said something to you? She’s really nice, but can be an idiot sometimes.”

“Not to the point of being rude, though, that I can say,” Sojung interjects, which Joohyun agrees to. “So, Yongsun, what’s on your mind.”

Once again, her friends place her on the hot seat like the countless times they’ve done before. The person in the hot seat is rotational though she finds herself on it more often than she’d like. “I… she’s just—you know… like—ugh. I don’t like her face. She just looks cocky ninety percent of the time. Like she knows how attractive she is. It happened yesterday when we saw each other.”

“Oh believe me, she knows,” laughs Sojung.

“I’ve known her for years and she knows what she can do to girls _and_ boys, but she doesn’t necessarily believe them when they tell her she’s attractive.” Joohyun explains.

Yongsun only crosses her arms in response, turning away and pouting. Unaware, Joohyun and Sojung share a _look_.

“Well, we can’t change how you feel about her but, as I’ve said before, just make sure you’ll be professional now that you’re _actually_ part of H.O.T.” Sojung tells her and Yongsun nods. Ugh. Damn Moon Byulyi and her face. “Please, for the love of God, don’t hit her, even outside of the club. It’s the first meeting-slash-workshop next week, let’s not make things awkward.”

Yongsun scoffs. She would deck Moon Byulyi in the face _professionally_ if she ever tries anything with her.

 

-

 

The moment Moon Byulyi sits on the teacher’s desk of H.O.T.’s main classroom, everyone goes quiet - even Yongsun, who had been happily chatting with Wheein.

“Hi, everyone. My name’s Moon Byulyi and I’m your president and director for this semester’s production. I’d like to welcome you all to another year with us, and that I’m very glad to have all of you here. I’d also like to begin your stay here with our motto: _don’t act, **be.**_

“So while you’re here, _being_ is going to be an activity you’ll find yourself doing often. As an actress, you don’t _pretend_ \- you find yourself in the shoes of your character, as your character. There’s this degree of suspension there that, with the right amount of training, you’ll be able to achieve to make people believe that _you_ are your character. This, however, is not exclusive to being the actress.

“The production manager becomes the left brain of the play. The sound and lights committee members become ones that breathe life into the play. The set and props people are ones that create the stage and the production’s world. The costume and makeup becomes one more entity that gives your character an identity. Runners. Publicity. Marketing. You’re all ones that make it happen.

“Stick with the motto and you’ll do well. Your doubts will scare you and there are times when it will be difficult, but we’ll help each other.”  Byulyi smiles though it’s soft now, visibly very fond of the club. Yongsun looks around and sees the faces of the members with the same expression. They love this club, very much so. It’s a delicate moment, one of which she has never felt in the Glee club her entire stay there and Yongsun can get used to this, even for the relatively short time she’ll be here.

“Now, the prelude’s over, let’s get started.” Moon Byulyi hops off the desk and dusts her hands. She looks attractive in her jogging pants and PhysEd shirt - wearing the same outfit that everyone was required to wear to the first workshop. She gives Yongsun a smile, one of which is considerably less cocky and Yongsun doesn’t feel like punching her. “Step one, let’s see how well you breathe.”

Yongsun grins and cracks her knuckles quietly. Four years in glee club, with extensive breathing exercises, were useful after all.

(Breathing exercises in theatre was very different from the glee club’s exercises, but Yongsun manages.)

 

-

 

**Yongsunnie [7:30 PM]**

Do you guys like, run before breathing exercises

 

**Sojungie [7:30 PM]**

Yup

 

**Joohyunie [7:30 PM]**

Yes

 

**Yongsunnie [7:31 PM]**

Well fuck

 

 

-

 

“So as you know we’ll be having our first production in about four and a half months. We’ll be having workshops for two then start rehearsals after our semestral break,” Byul informs them, perched on the teacher’s desk. “As of now, we’re still looking for a good script to do, but we’re narrowing it down to five before the scriptwriters and I present it to you. We do, however, have a few announcement from the production manager team. Nayoung?”

The tall girl takes the stage and Byulyi steps down, but not without a tiny wink directed at Yongsun. She’s reeling from it, thinking if she’s annoyed _or_ flattered _or_ both— 

“—manager. Alright, so first thing’s first.” Nayoung announces. “So Jihyo and I have decided that, since _I’m_ leaving, we will be asking for one volunteer to be the production manager to train you. It’s a risk but good exposure. Our director thinks so, too. The volunteer, however, will still go through screening if she has the qualities of being a production manager.” There are collective whispers, and Yongsun’s heart drops. “Don’t worry, we’ll be there t—”

“I’ll do it.” Yongsun raises her hand. “I’ll be your production manager.”

Nayoung looks impressed, the entire room looks to her in awe. Byulyi’s expression not any different from the rest, though hers was more open - more awestruck than the rest. Yongsun’s cheeks are as dark as her blazer, most likely, but she stands her ground.

“Well then,” Nayoung begins. “Looks like Kim Yongsun is our first candidate for PM.”

**Author's Note:**

> ayeee I thought this would be a oneshot but I love mamamoo and theatre too much!!!!!!!!! don't worry about me discontinuing this, i like where this is going and i have everything planned out so just you wait all of you :3
> 
> and that naked pantomime thing is from this fic called [naked pantomime in the dark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/441665), aka one of my fave fics ever!


End file.
